The present invention relates to a desktop controller for an operating system adapted to convey a controls urgent need for attention and an interactive application cooperable with such an operating system.
Operating systems including graphical user interfaces (GUI) are well known. In such operating system, for example, Windows 95/98/NT produced by Microsoft Corporation, OS/2 produced by IBM or UNIXxe2x80x94interaction with a user is via a desktop.
A desktop controller/manager is a component of the operating system. This holds whether or not a browser-like application is accessible through the desktop or a browser is providing the desktop as is possible in operating systems such as Windows 98.
Typically a desktop controller for a GUI displays windows, icons, pull-down menus and a mouse pointer. In GUI operating systems the term control is used for any such object, including for example a button, that enables user interaction or input, usually for initiating an action, displaying information, or setting values.
If a fire monitoring system process owning a desktop control, for example a window, wants to draw attention to itself, it usually has only its own portion of a display to convey the urgency. It does not effect the whole desktop. Prior art solutions designed to increase a user""s responsiveness to a control requiring urgent attention in an interactive application employ jangling music or flashing displays etc. These operations, however, may not be available on handheld monochromatic display devices or where the computer is without audio or tactile output.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a desktop manager for a multi-processing graphic user interface operating system operable to control the display of a plurality of controls each occupying respective display areas on a desktop, the desktop manager being characterised by means adapted to receive a request for urgency from a process owning a control; and means adapted to diminish the display of one or more of any other controls to draw the attention of a user to the control owned by the process requesting urgency.
In a further aspect there is provided an interactive application as claimed in claim 12 and a method as claimed in claim 16.
The present invention proposes that the control wanting attention requests the desktop managerxe2x80x94not itselfxe2x80x94to vary and in particular diminish the display of other controls on the screen, thus drawing the user""s attention to the control wanting attention. This variation of the display of the control relative to others signifies to the observer that the control wants some attention without relying on colour or sound effects.